Variable data print verification mechanism

ABSTRACT

A printing system is disclosed. The printing system includes a first printer to print a first type of data to a medium and to print a first barcode on the medium including variable to be printed on the medium and a second printer to print the variable data to the medium based on the first barcode and to print a second barcode to the medium for verification that the variable data has been accurately printed to the medium.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to the field of printing, and in particular, toverification of variable data on printed documents.

BACKGROUND

In the printing industry, it is sometimes necessary to process mediamultiple times in order to create a final product. For example, mediasuch as paper may be pre-printed in an offset press, then run through adigital press/printer in order to add unique (variable) information. Inother instances, a digital printer may not have enough capability (e.g.,an ink jet printer may not be able to print Magnetic Ink CharacterRecognition (MICR), or a monochrome printer may not be able to printcolor/highlight color).

In these cases, it may be necessary to process the media throughmultiple, independent digital printing devices in order to achieve thefinal product. To highlight their independence, the printing devices maybe located in different buildings or countries and having no externalnetwork connection. Thus, the printed output may be processed hours ordays apart.

When the independent printing systems are generating variable data(e.g., print data changes frequently and is very specific and personalto each piece of media), it is critical that each of the independentsystems apply the correct data to the media. For example, the media maybe processed in the first printer to apply a name and address in color,then processed in a different printer to add MICR data to be used by abanking system. Therefore, it is extremely important that the variabledata printed by the two independent printing systems is matchedcorrectly.

In many instances, there is no way of verifying the output of the secondprinter to determine if the second printer performed correctly. Forexample, the second printer may have printed a bank account number inMICR, but there is no way to verify that the printed account numbermatches the account holder's name that was printed by the first printer?

Accordingly, a mechanism to verify the accuracy of data printed from thesecond printer is desired.

SUMMARY

In one embodiment, a printing system is disclosed. The printing systemincludes a first printer to print a first type of data to a medium andto print a first barcode on the medium including variable data and asecond printer to print the variable data to the medium based on thefirst barcode and to print a second barcode to the medium forverification that the variable data has been accurately printed to themedium.

In a further embodiment, a method is disclosed including reading a firstbarcode printed on a medium including variable data, printing thevariable data to the medium based on the first barcode, generating asecond barcode from the variable data included in the first barcode andprinting the second barcode to the print medium.

In another embodiment, a printer is disclosed. The printer includes acontrol unit to read a first barcode printed on a medium includingvariable data, print the variable data to the medium based on the firstbarcode, generate a second barcode from the variable data included inthe first barcode and print the second barcode to the print medium.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A better understanding of the present invention can be obtained from thefollowing detailed description in conjunction with the followingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a printing system;

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating one embodiment of the operation ofa printer; and

FIG. 3 illustrates one embodiment of a document.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A printer verification mechanism is described. In the followingdescription, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific detailsare set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of thepresent invention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in theart that the present invention may be practiced without some of thesespecific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devicesare shown in block diagram form to avoid obscuring the underlyingprinciples of the present invention.

Reference in the specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment”means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic describedin connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodimentof the invention. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” invarious places in the specification are not necessarily all referring tothe same embodiment.

FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a printing system 100. Printingsystem 100 includes a document printer 110, a variable data printer 120and a verification mechanism 130. According to one embodiment, printer110 is a high speed ink jet color printer that is implemented to printimage and text data on paper.

In a further embodiment, printer 110 prints the images and text data oncheck stock for a multitude of bank account holders. For example,printer 110 may print the address, phone number and other account holderspecific data, along with one or more selected images, on each checkthat is printed. However, printer 110 does not have the capability toprint other variable data, such as MICR. Thus, the variable data is tobe printed at variable printer 120.

In one embodiment, printer 110 prints a barcode on each document. Withinthe barcode data printed on the first printing system is all of theinstructions to print the variable data on the second, independentprinting system. In such an embodiment, the barcode includes thevariable data (e.g., bank account numbers) that is to be applied to thedocument at printer 120 since the variable data may be printed on thedocument an indefinite amount of time after being processed at printer110. In a further embodiment, the data within the barcode is encryptedsince the data may include confidential or sensitive information.

At some later time the document is placed into printer 120 for printingof the variable data. According to one embodiment, printer 120 is amonochrome printer equipped with MICR toner. FIG. 2 is a flow diagramillustrating one embodiment of a process performed by a control unit 125within printer 120. At processing block 210, printer 120 reads thebarcode on the document.

At processing block 220, the barcode data is decrypted. At processingblock 230, the variable data is printed onto the document. At processingblock 240, the decrypted barcode data is used to generate a secondbarcode identical to the original barcode. Thus, the information isagain encrypted prior to generating the barcode. At processing block250, the second barcode is printed on the document. In one embodiment,the second barcode is printed in a known position on the documentrelative to the original barcode.

FIG. 3 illustrates one embodiment of a document 300 after it has beenprocessed at printer 120. Document 300 includes a barcode 330 that wasprinted at printer 110 and an identical barcode 350 printed at printer120. The document is later received at verification mechanism 130 wherethe second barcode is compared to the original barcode to verify thatthe proper variable data was printed on the document.

According to one embodiment, verification mechanism 130 is a barcodescanner that has the capability of comparing the two barcodes once eachis read. However in other embodiments, the scanner may transmit thescanned data to a controller that handles the comparison. A matchbetween barcodes indicates that the printer 120 was successful inreading and decrypting the data in the original barcode. In oneembodiment, verification mechanism 130 may be an independentverification device that needs no special programming or knowledge ofthe variable data or encryption to provide verification.

Further, by placing the second barcode on the same piece of media (e.g.,paper) there is an indication that the variable data printed by thesecond printer corresponds correctly to the variable data applied by thefirst printer. In one embodiment, verification mechanism 130 isconfigured to expect a pair of identical barcodes in close proximityrelative to the media size (page). If, after the comparison, it isdetermined that the barcodes do not match or one of the barcodes ismissing, the document is discarded or forwarded for furtherverification.

According to one embodiment, a human readable representation (e.g.unique serial number) included within the barcode data may also beprinted on the document at printer 110, in addition to the barcode. Inthis embodiment, a second version of the serial number is also printedon the document at printer 120 after the barcode is decrypted. Thisallows for the comparison of two printed numbers after the document isprocessed at printer 120, rather than comparing barcodes. In such anembodiment, verification mechanism 130 may include an imageauthentication system to compare the printed numbers.

Although described with reference to a single document pages, theabove-described process may be implemented in embodiments where barcodesprinted on each of multiple pages of a single document are verified toensure that each page has accurate data.

Embodiments of the invention may include various steps as set forthabove. The steps may be embodied in machine-executable instructions. Theinstructions can be used to cause a general-purpose or special-purposeprocessor to perform certain steps. Alternatively, these steps may beperformed by specific hardware components that contain hardwired logicfor performing the steps, or by any combination of programmed computercomponents and custom hardware components.

Elements of the present invention may also be provided as amachine-readable medium for storing the machine-executable instructions.The machine-readable medium may include, but is not limited to, floppydiskettes, optical disks, CD-ROMs, and magneto-optical disks, ROMs,RAMs, EPROMs, EEPROMs, magnetic or optical cards, propagation media orother type of media/machine-readable medium suitable for storingelectronic instructions. For example, the present invention may bedownloaded as a computer program which may be transferred from a remotecomputer (e.g., a server) to a requesting computer (e.g., a client) byway of data signals embodied in a carrier wave or other propagationmedium via a communication link (e.g., a modem or network connection).

Whereas many alterations and modifications of the present invention willno doubt become apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art afterhaving read the foregoing description, it is to be understood that anyparticular embodiment shown and described by way of illustration is inno way intended to be considered limiting. Therefore, references todetails of various embodiments are not intended to limit the scope ofthe claims, which in themselves recite only those features regarded asessential to the invention.

1. A printing system comprising: a first printer to print a first typeof data to a medium and to print a first barcode on the medium includingvariable data to be printed on the medium; a second printer to print thevariable data to the medium based on the first barcode and to print asecond barcode to the medium for verification that the variable data hasbeen accurately printed to the medium; and a verification system toverify that the second barcode is identical to the first barcode.
 2. Theprinting system of claim 1 wherein the first printer encrypts thevariable data prior to printing the first barcode.
 3. The printingsystem of claim 1 wherein the second printer decrypts the variable datafrom the first barcode prior to printing the variable data to themedium.
 4. The printing system of claim 3 wherein the second printerencrypts the data from the first barcode prior to printing the secondbarcode.
 5. The printing system of claim 3 wherein the second barcode isprinted in a known position on the medium relative to the first barcode.6. The printing system of claim 1 wherein the verification systemcompares the second barcode to the first barcode.
 7. The printing systemof claim 1 wherein the verification system is a scanner.
 8. The printingsystem of claim 1 wherein the first type of data comprises at least oneof text data and image data.
 9. A method comprising: reading a firstbarcode printed on a medium including variable data; printing thevariable data to the medium based on the first barcode; generating asecond barcode from the variable data included in the first barcode;printing the second barcode to the print medium; and verifying that thesecond barcode is identical to the first barcode.
 10. The method ofclaim 9 further comprising decrypting the variable data from the firstbarcode prior to printing the variable data to the medium.
 11. Themethod of claim 9 further comprising encrypting the variable data fromthe first barcode prior to generating the second barcode.
 12. The methodof claim 9 wherein the second barcode is printed in a known position onthe medium relative to the first barcode.
 13. The method of claim 9further comprising comparing the second barcode to the first barcode.14. A printer comprising a control unit to read a first barcode printedon a medium including variable data, print the variable data to themedium based on the first barcode, generate a second barcode from thevariable data included in the first barcode, print the second barcode tothe print medium and verify that the second barcode is identical to thefirst barcode.
 15. The printer of claim 14 wherein the control unitfurther decrypts the variable data from the first barcode prior toprinting the variable data to the medium.
 16. The printer of claim 14wherein the control unit further encrypts the variable data from thefirst barcode prior to generating the second barcode.
 17. The printer ofclaim 14 wherein the second barcode is printed in a known position onthe medium relative to the first barcode.
 18. The printer of claim 14wherein the control unit compares the second barcode to the firstbarcode.
 19. An article of manufacture comprising a machine-readablemedium including data that, when accessed by a machine, cause themachine to perform operations comprising: reading a first barcodeprinted on a medium including variable data; printing the variable datato the medium based on the first barcode; generating a second barcodefrom the variable data included in the first barcode; printing thesecond barcode to the print medium; and verifying that the secondbarcode is identical to the first barcode.
 20. The article ofmanufacture of claim 19 wherein the machine-accessible medium includesdata that causes the machine to perform further operations comprisingdecrypting the variable data from the first barcode prior to printingthe variable data to the medium.
 21. The article of manufacture of claim19 wherein the machine-accessible medium includes data that causes themachine to perform further operations comprising encrypting the variabledata from the first barcode prior to generating the second barcode. 22.The article of manufacture of claim 19 wherein the second barcode isprinted in a known position on the medium relative to the first barcode.23. The article of manufacture of claim 19 wherein themachine-accessible medium includes data that causes the machine toperform further operations comprising comparing the second barcode tothe first barcode.